The smart farm of the future doesn’t shy away from leaning into change and using technology to improve productivity, efficiency and, ultimately, profitability.
Being smart means taking it one technology at a time to help you manage the planning, planting, application and harvest seasons.
“Farmers need a digital strategy. They need to be aware of the kind of data that can be collected and how it can be used,” says tech guru Steve Cubbage. “It’s about leveraging the tools available and gaining insights to improve your farm operation.”
In addition to a strategy, Cubbage says you need to be intentional about vetting the technology to make sure it is moving you along the trajectory toward your end goal.
He advises farmers to ask themselves: How do I close the information gap in production practices and field activities? Technology is a big part of the answer, he says.
As a result, investing in technology isn’t a fair-weather option — it’s a core capital line item.
“Farmers must determine, at the bare minimum, how much they need to allocate to technology in their budget,” he says.
Cubbage highlights the necessity of investing in and staying committed to technology with the example of throwing out yield maps from bad weather years. Those are the maps that show what went wrong, not the good year when everything went right.
“We’re evolving into a different type of agriculture,” Cubbage says. “Growers are going to have to take a risk — and do a risk assessment. They need to walk away with the knowledge, the history and the data to see what’s being left on the table. That’s the opportunity with these technologies,” Cubbage says.
